Religion & Race in America- Roger Williams & Toleration

January 4- 11 1768 edition of the newport mercury: Letter signed 'K. a true son of liberty." on front page dated jan 8, 1768

"if you say you have a right to enslave others because it is for your interest (african slave trade), and you have the power to do it, why do you dispute the legality of great britain's enslaving you?"

The Gaspee affair-

- john brown involved in. patriot, in favor of independence and king george 3 parliament rule. Seen as earlier version of boston tea party. British ship taken over because of angry about tax and interference with british. Burned in narrangansett harbor.

Second half of his life, williams had a view of being peaceful with american indians. Stern argues that he didn't start out that way. Why?

. Not an olverly aggressive person. Initial religious convictions, sometimes you need to fight for religion. put war and death about judging someone, really god who is supposed to judge.

How is the name Roger Williams thought of in less historical ways/

. The university near bristol, RI. Roger williams park zoo, southern part of providence. Statue of roger williams looking down on his providence. (1600s

Plymuth colony (1620); pilgrims, mayflower, William Bradford, and the Mayflower compact document

102 people on mayflower Early example of self government notes. Some examples of constitution and our democracy. Even though get all attention at thanksgiving, much smaller group of people. Had smaller colony. Did not have first thanksgiving. Pilgrims were separatists.

America's original sin-

1619-2020 (600 years of slavery). There at the beginning, part of who humans are.

Rhode island colony; roger williams/providence established in

1636

amistad movie

1997. steven spielberg. Filmed in newports Matthew mcconaughey as roger sherman baldwin- connecticut laywer (later governor and us senator) who argued successfully on behalf of 36 surviving enslaved africans in the us supreme court case united states vs the amistad (1841) Anthony hopkins as former us president and congressmen from massachusetts in the us house of reps john quincy adams- argued successfully on behalf of 36 surviving enslaved africans in the us supreme court case vs amistad (18410 Us won. Captives were freed. Abolitionist raised money to send them back to west coast of africa.

number of slaves from early 1500s in western hemisphere civil war newport slave trade

95%. 500k imported 4 million enslaved 100k out of newport ri.

lincolns house divided speech

: want union to stay together. Grew in position, 200k former slaves fighting on behalf of union army, helped to tip balance of the union army to win war.

how in a sense did captain hopkins fail in his mission?

Captains fault to get up to number of slaves he wanted. As soon as he got one slave, another would die and commit suicide. Hard for him to decide which items to trade and to keep. Trading everything but slaves Loosing money for ship when slaves died. When he got it back, loosing more money. Didn't know how to owe up to it with brown brothers. Could be reason why he is stalling so much.

February 5, 1631 (390 years ago). Anniversary of what?

Date where roger williams lands in new england and the massachusetts bay colony. Less than a year than john Winthrop and puritans landed to establish boston. They were decade after plymouth colony was founded with the pilgrims.

Why make so much rum in newport?

Easy to ship out. Alcohol doesn't go bad as quickly as other products .heavy. Really attractive to people of west africa. Love rum

Before new england was settled, first permanent anglo american settlement by english people (what becomes usa) is

Jamestown, Virginia. (named after King James). 1607.

John Calvin

John calvin starts to talk ideas, prominent idea among purtains of pre destination. Idea that god chooses the select or elite to go to heaven before you are even born. Complicated theological assumption.

The economic activities of the narrangansett planters painting.

Made in 1939, year during great depression. Mural made before civil rights movement sensitivty to horrors of slavery. Ship slave trade, horses and men muscular doing work, windmills, sheep, farming

gettysburg addres

New birth of freedom. Saying blood spilt from battlefield was done for a larger purpose, not to keep country together. Gov for people, by people.

how did newport become the hub of slave trade?

Newport increasing in all trade activities. Bostons port and new yorks stopped work with slaves. Dropped. Easier to hide, bigger populations

One example of how slavery was so central to newport experience was abraham redwood.

Redwood library and athenaeum 1747 founded. Major achitect harrison. Library for gentleman of newport. Books rare. Show civilization,

Martin Luther & 95 Theses

Roman catholic priest in german town of wittenberg. Incredibly corrupt town. Church was selling indulgences, considered when catholics go to confession for sacrament of reconciliation, allowed people to buy forgiveness. Church wanted money. 95 criticisms. Pounded these on doors of church. Wanted to reform the church, not leave it.

400 years of trans atlantic slave trade anniversary in 2016.

Ten to twelve millions were enslaved and brought across middle passage to new world. Only 500,000 end up in the united states.

Explain why RI was a place of religious freedom?

Touro synagogue. Built in 18th century, no other buildings around. For jews to build synagogue not tucked away in an alley/ gheto neighborhood hill of thriving city. Roger Williams was central to this.

Legal issue about what is going to happen to the 35 enslaved people.

Us did not recognize slaves as slaves. Spanish governments said they are slaves. Court case. Went all the way into supreme court 1841 about the issue.

In model of christian charity, quotes from gospel of matthew. Phrase that israeliteis should be like

a city upon a hill. Look up on the hill at city and city will be model for rest of the world. be providential, like heaven on earth. A beacon.

newport ri during us revolution was one of the five largest

cities in the colony. All sea ports. Overland travel expensive and hard. Railroad not created yet. Expensive to build canals. Water was the way. Newport on ocean. Advantage over providence.

Mills in mass making clothing and textiles, the product they are used to make clothing is

cotton, collected from south.

Slave holders usually wanted

d young men. Women of child bearing age considered very valuable. On sugar plantations, life span so short. Worked to death. Treating the enslaved as animals, barbaric way, chattle slavery. Seen as property, not as prisoner of war.

Cosmopolitanism-

diversity, multiculturalism, melting pot

Separation of church and state-

don't want religion being corrupted by the government. His path to toleration

epistical church

founded after american revolution. same religion as english church. Does not translate to have religious toleration or freedom for other people. It was founded on pilgrims and puritans wanted themselves to be free, did not see other people to see fit for religious toleration and to be free.

Original ivy league schools founded before revolution had

had religious affiliations, now died out. No more. Harvard founded in 1630s, was puritan/congregational. Columbia university was church of england, epistical. Purposes was to educate ministers.

What is Roger Williams famous for?

hero of toleration, in religious sense. Precursor of separation of church vs state. He is considered father of american baptist church, as he opened the first one in providence.

Importance of language-

human intelligence. Thinking for themselves. Not just speaking gibberish.

slavery in early history

isted biblical times, ancient greece, ancient egypt. Slaves became slaves because they were prisoners of war. One group defeat another group. Once have control of situation, take slaves as hostages. Become enslaved or servents working against will who took you over. Person assiimlated into culture that enslaved them. Children would be.

How do christians believe original sin was overcome through

jesus christ dying on the cross, rose from third day. God assuming human form, son of carpenter, 33 year old. What god did was innocence. Endured crucifixtion, horrific, as form of redemption to the human race. (by the blood of the cross).

Church of England/ Anglician church (1534); henry the 8th

king of england, wanted annulment for divorce. This is something church would grant to say a marriage was not valid from the very beginning, it should not have been. He had gotten one and wanted another. Church said no. reformation went on. He says, we are going to separate ourselves from church to not take orders from pope and vatican, I will be the leader.

Bloudy (not bloody) Tenet of Perseuction,

more famous work of roger williams. Explains that american indians are people too. They have souls and culture. Different. Maybe we should have tolerance for them. Avoid bloudy tenet, which was the blood of war. Protestants and christians have been killing each other for a long time.

Anna-

moses brown wife. First of 3 wives of moses. Didn't divorce. Lived 98 years of age (1630s to 1830s). She was a quaker. Second and third wives were also quakers.

Massachusetts bay colony (1630): the arbella

most famous ship; john winthrop leader, first governor of mass bay colony; "a model of christiany charity" a city upon a hill. This is his sermon. Believe it was given on ship.

January 1, 1808. law passed banned

mportation of slaves into the united states. (not slavery). Cannot legally bring slaves into the united states.

Puritans

much larger group. Great migration in 1630s and 40s. In boston harbor. Come to salem first. ot quite hopeless of church of England as separatists. Believe they can purify church of england/ make it better. Puritans thought they were going to virgina. James town founded in 1607, 13 years before plymouth.

Nicholas brown jr,

nephew of moses brown. Will give $5000 for the college of rhode island to be called brown university. Moses is founder of ri historical society, peace society. His brother john brown, remember of us house of reps. family were baptists.

Protestant church in england. Beside fact it has no pope, the differences are

not much different than catholics. Stain glass windows, masses, priests

Roger williams acting on behalf of war effort. Traitor, spy because

of his langauge and can find out how to help english war effort.

james town 1619 is beginning of

original sin. The intervention where a lot of blood was spilled in order to overcome original sin of slavery. The civil war.

Pequot war from 1637 to 1638.

partially dutch in new amsterdam, later called ny. In south, english coming from england. Mohegan indians work together with english to destroy pequot indians.

Portsmouth compact-

people live among themselves and have some sort of rule

1619, year before pilgrims arrive at

plymouth rock, ship arriving to jamestown with 20 enslaved africans. Before thanksgiving, slavery in america. Not unique to us, the whole western hemisphere with mexico, central america, etc

In english form of slavery in america, start to see enslaved as not as people, but as

property. "chattel" Permanent and multigenerational slavery. Grandchild forever enslaved. Inferior being, why you are enslaved.

Roger williams moves away from seeing war and violence as legitimate way to support

religion. Problematic in that do you know what you are doing, who you are killing, can that person be reedemed? Taking away from god's decision.

In past election, official name of state was

rhode island and providence plantations. (smallest state with longest name). rI referred to island we are right now, now called aquidnick island. Rest of the state was providence plantations. Did not have connotation that early of slave african plantations. also rhode island had so many roads

Sea captains mostly become reps of

rhode island governors. Drinking rum. All white men.

Redwood was in society of

riends, religion founded by george fox in england. Protestant break off groups. (the quakers). Quakers have slim down religion. No stain glass windows, no fancy buildings, priest, sacraments, bishops. Group of people that get together treated equally. Meetings, not worship. Sit in silence. Were christians.

For many christians and catholics that do not read bible literally, understand why people are

self destructive and destructive towards other people. Stories told at time to understand and explain the truth. difference between accuracy and the truth.

Big idea of american baptists was

separation of church vs state. Didn't want state to get invovled in religion. Super important idea. This is ironic.

qaukers was an early group to speak out against

slavery, realize it was an evil. Did not necessarily think people of african descendent as fully equal, but thought slavery was evil

what kind of objects were traded during the trinangular trade?

slaves. Rum, african iron, guns.

La amistad (friendship)

spanish slave trade. Slaves rebellion on board, took control of the ship. Attempted to sail west coast of africa. Open ocean. Landing on shores of connecticut.

Slave trade is similar to

stock market, may not work on wall street or stockbroker but all invested in it.

in judeo christian tradition, providence means

the promise land. Heaven land. Faith trying to move forwards to. Providential, fate, meant to be. Naming it "heaven city."

what was central to newport? aside from the mansions, cliff walk, wharfs, and tourist attractions/

the triangular trade and slavery. slaves helped buitl the city.

Because stern points out that he always thinks heavily, questioning things, "restless," gets in trouble with

theocracy (where god rules) and asks too many questions. Gets banished from mass bay colony. Intended him to go back to england. He runs south and gets into indian territory. Naragganset. Traded goods. Father merchant in england. Go to know indians and learned their language.

Roger williams moving towards peace. To have peace, need to have

things unresolved.

KEY

title of a work that roger williams work. Key to decipher indian language.

why were priests baptizing slaves when they boarding the slave ships?

was baptizing them. Catholic theology of spain, if baptized, no matter what happens to their body on earth, they will go to heaven. Most christians, catholic church, do not teach that today. Slaveholders use religion to justify it. Slavery in bible. Look to promise land.

Liberty of conscience-

wearing own conscience. Little devil or angel. Making decisions about rights and wrong. American idea of individual liberty

The landing of roger williams in 1636 (1857) painting. What story is painter chappel trying to say?

williams crossing the seekonk river and being greeted by the Narragansetts. Peaceful. Peace pipe to smoke together. In boat, williams people. They look hesistent.